Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material



I y 4, 1939- L. F. PARKER ET AL 2,164,753

APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING IN CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL Filed March 24, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 am J ATTORNEY July 4', 1939; L. F. PARKER ET AL 2,164,753

APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING IN CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL Filed March 24, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY y 4, 1939- 1.. F. PARKER ET AL 2,164,753

APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING IN CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL Filed March 24, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEY July 4, 1939. 1.. F. PARKER ET AL 2,164,753

APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING IN CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL Filed March 24, 1938 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 NV TOR J B Y 1 ATTORNEY Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFECE APPARATUS FOR TUNNELING IN CONSOLIDATED MATERIAL tion of Delaware Application March 24,

6 Claims.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material such as rock, hard pan and cemented gravel, disintegrated rock, shale, etc., in such manner that not only may the operations of drilling and muck pile removing be simultaneously effected, but in such manner that the conduct of the various steps is synchronized in a special manner to be hereinafter described so that the speed of tunnel advancing is greatly increased over existing practice.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a schematic longitudinal section through part of the tunnel showing the head thereof and showing the cantilever working platform and drill support retracted on the conveyor muck car loader without affecting the operation of the latter, the receiving element of the conveyor being associated with a mucker in action on a muck pile.

Figure 2 is a View similar to the preceding figure, showing advance of the mucker and the conveyor muck car loader without changing the position of the cantilever working platform and drill support.

Figure 3 is a view similar to the preceding figures, showing the mucker and conveyor in the same position as that of Figure 2, the cantilever working platform and drill support having been advanced to carry the drills into operative relation to the tunnel head, the mucker and conveyor muck car loader having been advanced to the point permitting such movement for reaching the drills to the tunnel face.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of the preceding figures, showing the advance of the mucker and the conveyor muck car loader which follows it with relation to the cantilever working platform and drill support without any change in the position of the latter.

Figure 5 is a view similar to the preceding figures, showing removal of the mucker without change in the position of the cantilever working platform and drill support and the placment for operation upon the tunnel face of a supplemental drill carriage for drilling the lower part of the tunnel face.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the end of the working platform at the drill support showing a drill mounted on a sliding horizontal bar by which drilling can be done on any part of the face within its reach.

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view on the line l'l, Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a perspective View, showing a drill 1938, Serial No. 197,788

mounted on a tubular support which, in turn, is adjustably mounted on a second tubular support.

Figure 9 is a transverse section on the line 99, Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a transverse section on the line 5 l0l0, Figure 3.

Figure 11 is a longitudinal section through a tunnel, partly broken away, showing the forward portion of the conveyor muck car loader conveyor with the hopper boom swung upwardly so that the mucking machine may be retracted from the face of the tunnel on an inner track in order to' permit the advance of the lower drill carriage mounted on the same track.

Figure 12 is a perspective View, showing the front ends of the conveyor muck car loader girders and the rear ends of the cantilever working platform and drill support girders, illustrating a roller overhead abutment for the latter girders.

Figure 13 is a transverse section on the line l3|3, Figure 11.

Figure 14 is a side elevation of an upper drill carriable movable longitudinally on the cantilever working platform and drill support which may be used. 25

Figure 15 is a sectional elevation on the line I5--I5, of Figure 14.

Figure 16 is a sectional elevation on the line I6IB, Figure 4, showing a modified form of multi-drill support in full line upper position, and dotted line lower position.

Figure 17 is a lonigtudinal section through a tunnel, showing the cantilever working platform and drill support and mucking machine, showing the latter mounted on a trackway between the tracks for the former.

Figure 18 is a sectional elevation on the line I8-i8, Figure 17.

Figure 19 is a longitudinal section through a tunnel, showing a modified cantilever platform 40 and drill support on a track alongside the mucking track and having its forward section overhanging the latter.

Figure 20 is a sectional elevation on the line 20-20, Figure 19. 45

Figure 21 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional elevation on the line 2l-2|, Figure '7.

Figure 22 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 22-22, Figure 21.

Referring to the drawings, I have indicated therein at l a tunnel in the process of digging and which will be considered as extending into consolidated material of the character previously set forth. At the base of the tunnel as it proceeds there is laid on inner trackway indicated at 2, 55

Figures 9 and 19, for muck cars 3 and straddling trackway 2 is a second trackway 2a: for the wheel gantrys 4 which carry between them spaced girders rotatably supporting rollers ii over which an endless feed belt i is guided.

At the forward sections of girders 5 there is pivoted between them at 3 a carrier or loading boom 9 provided at its end with guide roller ID for the endless belt, the carrier supporting a suitable number of belt guiding rullers i t (Figure 11). Above the feed belt as held by carrier 9 is a hopper [2. Connected to boom at it is a hoist cable l4 leading to a hydraulic hoist ele ment at l5 (Figure 11). By such means the carrier may be raised and lowered under power.

Extending between the girders and held rigidly by them is a strong shaft to with each end projecting laterally of the girders. Shaft i6 may be held in fixed position or may rotate relatively to the girders 5, and inasmuch as the function of the shaft is that of the cantilever abutment as later to be explained, it may be substituted by any suitable equivalent.

Forwardly of the feed belt carrier, of which the primary frame members comprise girders 5, is a wheeled gantry ll mounted on track 200. Rigidly carried at the top of the gantry and extending forwardly and rearwardly thereof, is a cantilever working platform and drill support which comprises the horizontal platform :18 at the sides of which are the vertically extending flanged beams I9, beams i9 being spaced to straddle the girders 5 and being preferably tapered at their ends. Thus, they may be moved under the projecting ends of shaft E5 in the manner shown in Figures 12 and 13. Carried at the front end of the cantilever platform and drill support are drills and drill mountings particularly adapted for the necessary drilling work above the muck pile areas, or, in other words, at the upper section of the tunnel face. In Figures 6, "I and 8 suitable drill mountings are illustrated with reference to the forward end of the working platform l8. Two mountings are shown, each comprising a vertical standard 2% pivoted at 2! upon a carrier 22 which in each case is fixed to one of the flanged beams 19. Mounted upon standard 20 for vertical adjustment is a bracket 23 having a clamping sleeve in which is disposed a hori- Zontal bar 24 upon which the drill assembly 25 is clamped. By this arrangement the drill assembly may be raised and lowered with its carrying bar 24 on standard PE, and the drill assembly also may be shifted laterally so that drilling can be done on any part of the tunnel face within its reach. In the drawings, Figures 6, '7 and 8, we have shown, somewhat schematically, a standard form of pneumatic drill assembly. In the more detailed views, Figures 16, 21 and 22, it will be seen that the standard 23 is in the form of a tube angularly bent at its lower end and projecting through the carrier 22, the tube being swaged over upon the inner face of the carrier and the latter being secured to the appropriate flanged beam I9 by means of the bolts 28x. Pivoted to the carrier at 25 are clamping arms 21 adapted to embrace the lower bent end of standard 2B, the clamping of the arms being effected by a threaded bolt and nut assembly shown at 28, Figure 21, so that the appropriate standard 20 may be swung on the pivotal support thus provided and held in its adjusted position by the clamping arms. For example, the standard may be swung to the dotted line position, Figure 16, to carry the drill to a depending position relatively to the working platform It for working on the lower tunnel face area. In addition, as shown by the said figure, the tubular standard it may receive within it for longitudinal ient a secondary shaft-like standard upon w rich may be mounted a bracket similar to bracket and designated by the numeral which will have a sleeve for receiving a bar which, in turn, supports the drill assembly 259:. Secondary shaltlike standard 29, in each case, will be capable of endwise and rotary movement in the supporting tubular standard 23 and any usual means of clamping the supplementary standard in its adjusted position relatively to standard 28 may be employed, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the platform I8 may be provided with a trackway iii to receive a wheeled carriage 3| on which the drill supports are mounted. In the said figures, each drill support comprises a vertical shaft 32 apertured to receive spaced bracket arms 33 which carry at their ends a post or shaft-like member 34. Slidably mounted on shaft 3 is a bracket 35 which may be formed as a clamping sleeve having a sleeve 36 which adjustably receives a horizontal bar 37 upon which the clamping sleevelike carrier 38 for the drill assembly 251: is mount ed. By such arrangement the drill assembly may be advanced and retracted and also swung laterally by movement of the arms 33 and the drill, in each case, may be adjusted vertically on shaft 34 as well as longitudinally on the bar 3?.

In Figures 19 and 20, we have shown a modified cantilever platform and drill. support a trackway alongside a mucking track and having its forward section overhanging the latter. To this end, the gantry ll is formed with a forwardly projecting frame l'fzn (Figure 19) at the forward end of which is a laterally projected section film which overhangs the mucking track which, in this case, is disposed at the side of the track The muck cars and mucker may be run on trac 2 under the overhanging front working section of the platform without interference with the oper ation of the drills carried thereby.

The mucker comprises a wheeled carriage carrying a power-operated pivoted boom 39, the outer end of which is the mucking bucket Gil. The

boom is adapted to swing rearwardly to dump the contents of the bucket onto a muck belt ii, the latter being an endless belt supported within a suitable framework :42. The mucker forms no part of the present invention and is not illustrated in detail. It will be understood that the rear end of the belt discharges the muck into hopper I2, the muck being then received on the belt I and finally discharged at the rear end thereof into the muck cars 3.

The drills for the lower face areas of the tunnel may be supported on a wheeled carriage 13 and the drill assemblies may be mounted thereon in a manner similar to that shown in Figure or in any other manner suitable for the simultaneous operation of a plurality of drills in differ-- ent positions relatively to the tunnel face.

By means of the combination of elements just described, we are enabled to secure a synchronized maximum number of similtaneous tunnel operations including drilling, scaling, mucking and temporary supporting work on the roof of the tunnel, if required.

The overlying support of the rear end of the cantilever platform and drill support by means of a roller-shaft carried by the beams constituting the main framework of the muck loading conveyor, utilizes the weight of the latter as a means for counterbalancing the overturning effect of the loads at the forward end of the cantilever platform in its extended position, and when the platform is utilized for the storing and erecting of tunnel roof supports consisting of steel or timber beams, etc. This rear support permits extending the cantilever reach to the maximum over and above the mucker and the muck pile the mucker is operating upon.

The swivel and telescopic features of the drill mountings at the forward end of the cantilever platform and drill support, as shown in Figure 16, enable the drilling of the most, if not the whole, face of the tunnel from an overhead cantilever support and extends the reaches of the various drills on the areas of the tunnel face for such purpose.

In the operation of our method the cantilever working platform and drill support may be moved forwardly into position for operation of the drills upon the tunnel face immediately following formation of a new muck pile, as by a blasting operation, and the said platform and drill support may be advanced or retracted relatively to the loading conveyor without affecting the joint action of the latter and the mucker whether the arrangement be in accordance with Figures 1 to 3, for example, or in accordance with Figures 19 and 20. Thus drilling of the upper face of the tunnel may continue as the muck pile is being removed and upon the removal of the muck pile the mucker may be retracted and the lower drill carriage 43 advanced to the position of Figure 5. Frequently, however, the sequences are arranged so that toward the end of the muck pile moving operation the drilling of the upper face of the tunnel will near completion and upon the retraction of the mucker utilization may be made of the swinging and telescopic supportsfor the drill elements, as shown in Figures 16, 21 and 22, so that the drilling of the lower face area of the tunnel may immediately be carried out and indeed started whilst the mucker has been moved back only part of its total travel. When the tunnel face is ready for blasting, the cantilever working platform and drill support may be retracted without any necessity for change in the position of the conveyor muck car loader. After the blast and blowing out of the gases from the forward section of the tunnel, the mucker is advanced together with the conveyor muck car loader and the cantilever working platform and drill support, each to carry out its respective operation at the time required and without interference with the other. Upon the advance of the platform for the drilling operation, and also prior thereto, the workmen on the platform may be engaged in the erection of tunnel roof supports, and hence, facilities are provided for simultaneous operations, which under present tunneling methods are not practicable. The length of the cantilever reach over the mucking machine will be proportioned to the length of the main muck pile and the drills mounted on the cantilever platform will be of such number as to enable uninterrupted work of both drilling and muck removing from the moment the cantilever platform and drill supports are advanced over the mucker and against the face of the tunnel and in order that the drilling of the upper face of the tunnel will be completed at approximately the time of removal of the muck pile when the arrangement of Figures 16-22 is employed. When the lower drill carriage 43 is employed, the number of drills, and hence workmen operating the drills on platform 18, may be lessened so that drilling of the upper tunnel face area will continue through the removal of the muck and during the drilling of the lower face area of the tunnel, so that the drills may finish their assigned tasks at the same time, permitting the loading and blasting of the entire face with a minimum of delay.

In some cases it may be found desirable to employ a positive resistance against the overturning effect of the cantilever working platform and drill support, caused by loads applied to its forward end, particularly when the latter has a very long forward reach, by means of an instrumentality at the rear end of the same, such as the pivoted trench jack 42a: bearing upon the tunnel roof, as indicated in Figure 1'7.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material, comprising a conveyor muck car loader, muck cars overhung by the conveyor, a working platform and drill support straddling the conveyor muck car loader, a power mucker overhung by the working platform and drill supports carried by the platform at its forward end and adapted for lateral and vertical movement of the drills, the working platform and drill support being longitudinally movable independently of and relatively to the conveyor muck car loader and the power mucker and the muck cars each being movable under and independently of the loading conveyor and the working platform and drill support, in combination with a cantilever connection between the working platform and drill support and the conveyor muck car loader, whereby loads upon the forward section of the platform and drill support are resisted by the conveyor muck car loader, said connection permitting longitudinal movement of the Working platform and drill support relatively to the conveyor muck car loader.

2. Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material, comprising a conveyor muck car loader, muck cars overhung by the conveyor, a working platform and drill sup-port straddling the conveyor muck car loader, a power mucker overhung by the working platform and drill support, a plurality of drills and a plurality of drill supports carried by the platform at its forward end and adapted for lateral and vertical movement of the drills, the working platform and drill support being longitudinally movable independently of and relatively to the conveyor muck car loader and the power mucker and the muck cars each being movable under and independently of the loading conveyor and the working platform and drill support, in combination with a connection between the conveyor muck car loader and the platform and drill support permitting telescopic movement thereof relatively to the muck pile.

3. Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material, comprising a conveyor muck car loader, and a wheeled gantry therefor, bearing memers projecting laterally from the loading conveyor at its front area, a working platform and drill support and a wheeled gantry therefor, in combination with lateral frame members carried by the working platform and drill support and adapted for movement and in contact with said bearing members in longitudinal movements of the working platform and drill support.

4. Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material, constructed in accordance with claim 3, in which the bearing members carried by the conveyor muck car loader comprise rotary shaftlike elements.

5. Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material, comprising a conveyor muck car loader including lateral frame members, an outwardly projected rotary bearing member carried by each of said frame members, a working platform and drill support including lateral frame members adapted for telescopic movement relatively to the frame members of the conveyor muck car loader, and also adapted to underly and engage said rotary bearing members, and a plurality of drill supports carried by the Working platform and drill support at the end of the latter opposite its areas of engagement with said bearing members.

6. Apparatus for tunneling in consolidated material, in combination with a conveyor muck car loader provided with bearing means, of a cantilever platform and drill support telescopically related with said muck loading conveyor and adapted for engagement with said bearing means, and a gantry carrying the working platform and drill support at a substantial distance rearwardly of its front area, whereby said front area is adapted to overhang a muck pile. 

